


Sugar Sweet, Rotten Meat.

by orphan_account



Series: WinterHawk Week 2k15 [5]
Category: Marvel
Genre: Fighting, M/M, Natasha's perspective, all hail Natasha and how much shit she puts up with, heat sensitive Bucky should be canon i don't even care anymore, heed the title, i mean like arguing not punching, referenced domestic abuse, referenced not really consensual relationships, there be sadness here, these boys are so tragic at times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-25
Updated: 2015-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-23 08:15:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4869743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She's never liked getting in the middle of fights like this, but damn it, these are her boys, and if they need her to help them act like adults at times, then she'll carve out a piece of herself to help them do it.</p><p>Because she's never seen Clint try so hard after Bobbi. Because Bucky deserves an actual relationship and not just what the Red Room gave them in each other (a distraction, a prize for good behavior). Because they both feel too much and need someone that can relate to that. Because sometimes broken pieces fit better with other broken pieces.<br/>---<br/>Natasha sees the facts in Clint and Bucky's relationship.</p><p>Day 5 of Winterhawk Week: Fact</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sugar Sweet, Rotten Meat.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shankyknitter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shankyknitter/gifts).



> Title inspired by 'Le Potrait de Petite Cossette' which I can only describe as a gothic lolita romance with no actual happiness.  
> Which this fic kinda turned into (minus the gothic lolita part, but hey, feel free to imagine one of the boys dressed up like that).  
> I wrote most of this while on an energy drink boost, so there might be mistakes.

The fact of the matter is that they're both very broken people. Not that that's all to them, but Natasha's experience broken people have the sharpest edges, pointed inwards and outwards.

It shows with them.

There's been far too many times where Nat's heard them screaming bloody murder at each other. Sometimes it's slightly justified, other times it's completely ridiculous. If she isn't in the room when the fight starts though, she'll stand outside the door, waiting to see - or rather, hear - if the fight will come to blows. Thankfully, they rarely do. The boys are much too keen on physically destroying property than each other. Usually they end with Bucky storming out, leaving Clint behind to deal.

She tries not to think hard about how this seems to be a common occurrence in his life.

However, she prefers these fights to the nonverbal ones. The ones where they're too angry to speak, too busy glaring daggers at each other to even give that anger a voice. She's still never sure how to diffuse the situation when they fight like this.

For all their fighting though, the fact is that they're good for each other. And it worries Natasha that they don't see it. She sees how they treat each other a majority of the time, standing back to back as they shoot down swarms of flying enemies, moving in perfect synchronicity, never both of them shooting at the same target.

She sees how Clint fusses over Bucky when he gets the smallest injury, even when his healing factor kicks in.

She sees how Bucky will sit in the hospital for days on end while Clint slowly mends.

She sees how they curl around each other when one of them is having a particularly hard day, as if they can be a physical barrier to nightmares of days long past.

She sees how they love each other so much.

She sees how each fight destroys each of them, how they'll fall into themselves until sometimes she needs to push them together so they'll apologize and make things right.

She's never liked getting in the middle of fights like this, but damn it, these are her boys, and if they need her to help them act like adults at times, then she'll carve out a piece of herself to help them do it.

Because she's never seen Clint try so hard after Bobbi. Because Bucky deserves an actual relationship and not just what the Red Room gave them in each other (a distraction, a prize for good behavior). Because they both feel too much and need someone that can relate to that. Because sometimes broken pieces fit better with other broken pieces.

\---

Steve and Bucky are off on a mission together in Egypt.

Clint's less than happy about it.

"I've told them time and again that he's heat sensitive. Do they listen? No." He's muttering as he does triangle push-ups. "'No, don't worry about it, Clint. We're only sending him to the middle of a desert. But don't worry, he'll be fine. We know best.'" He puts on a whiny voice, and Natasha's really curious about what SHIELD liaison thought it best to not trust Clint's judgment. She'll have to talk to Maria about that.

"Steve is out there with him, you know." He doesn't even jump in surprise anymore, far too used to her sneaking up on him and interjecting herself into his monologues.

He snorts. "Yeah, but Buck'll push himself more and more when he's with Steve. He won't say a word about how he's feeling until he passes out."

She resists from saying that sounds just like Clint. "I get the feeling he won't be speaking while he's passed out, Clint."

"You know what I mean." Ah, apparently he's too stressed for humor. Shame. Perhaps diversion will work better.

"You know Steve would never let anything bad happen to him. If he's hurt in anyway, Steve would be the second person they should worry about."

"And the first?"

"You." She says simply.

He slows down and sighs. Good. There's sweat all over his back and legs, some of it rolling over to evaporate on the ground. He must have been in here for hours. "He asked me to move in with him."

"And you haven't given him an answer yet." He nods. She sighs and sits down next to him. "What's going on in your mind, my Hawk?" She asks as he moves to sit as well.

"I could kill him." True, but it would require some effort on his part.

"He could kill you." She responds. It'd still take effort, but probably less. Metal arms and super serums tend to do that.

"Neither one of those is a mark of a great relationship, Nat."

"I'm just saying that if it were to come to that, he could defend himself."

"Yeah but." He sighs, "I don't want it to come to that. And we fight so much already. I don't- my dad- I." He gives up, knowing she'll understand.

"You're far better than your dad ever was, Clint. You never need to worry about that. You are nowhere near his level and everyone would agree with me." She adds, "Bobbi would agree with me," knowing that it'd cement the idea in his mind, even if just for a short period of time.

He nods and sighs.

"Some things you just have to work through on your own, Clint. But you and Barnes? You two are so similar that sometimes it feels like I blink and you two have switched places. And that is a very good thing to have, but," She fixes him with a stare, "but that means that you two have the same issues to work on. And it'll be rough. No one can say otherwise. He might try to kill you. You might try to kill him." He flinches at that last statement, and she decidedly does not think about how he does not flinch at the one before it. "But he will come to his senses and take care of you. And you would do the same for him. Trust me when I say he's thought about this. And for a long time if he's asking you despite his fear."

"So I should say yes?" He asks, scooting closer to her. He reeks, but if he's actually showing that he needs physical affection, then she'll provide it. She runs a hand through his damp (gross) hair.

"No." She smiles at him. "You should do what you want to do. If you want to move in, then you should. If you really don't want to, then don't. I'm saying not to let fear influence your decision. You're Clint Barton. You're bigger than fear." He's silent. "You're not bigger than a shower though, so go take one."

\---

"It's just too soon for me. I'm not ready yet." She overhears in the library. She instantly stills, spying. If either of them calls her out on it, she'll just say she wants to make sure they're okay. It is the truth after all. "It's not your fault, okay? I just rushed things last time with Bobbi and I don't want to do that again. She deserved better, and so do you."

Wow. She didn't expect that.

"Makes sense." She lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Bucky's well too aware that Clint has issues with commitment (she's pretty sure they've fought about that before) and knows he can see that this is Clint's way of saying 'I love you.' "Just know that the offer's still open whenever you decide you're ready."

"Thank you."

She doesn't peek around the corner and see how they're curled up together, Clint's legs thrown over Bucky's lap, and Bucky’s flesh arm wrapped around Clint's waist.

She doesn't need to see it, because it's an indisputable fact that that's how they show their love.

**Author's Note:**

> Come flail with me on [tumblr](calcifercai.tumblr.com).


End file.
